Thursday, November 25, 2010

Assume you are a Christian who lives in a politically and spiritually repressive country. You learn one day that all who refuse to renounce their faith in God will be killed. What would you do? Would your activities on that day be any different than the day before? Would your activities include prayers of thanks to God?

If you were the Old Testament prophet, Daniel, nothing would change. After learning that the King of Babylon had signed a decree stipulating that anyone caught praying to another God would be thrown in the lion's den, Daniel went home and did what he normally did three times each day: He prayed and gave thanks to God--thanks that he was now a wanted man? Not likely. Daniel's gratitude was based on knowing that God is sovereign over all things; that God knew his life would be threatened long before Daniel knew it; that he could entrust his future to God without fear of the outcome.

If gratitude and thanks to God are part of your daily pattern of life, then no unforeseen circumstance can create fear.